I think this one is my favorite Morgan Ranch story so far. Rio is a compelling Hero, and the Heroine is equally interesting. I like the internal conflict these characters feel toward their situations and each other.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

The Billionaire Bull Rider is the fifth book in the Morgan Ranch series, a series I've been following since its inception, and a series that's consistently featured members of the Morgan family. I found it to be a good read, an interesting and complicated story that works as a standalone, but which I suggest readers unfamiliar with the series read in the order in which they were written to understand the Morgan family dynamic and the complicated interrelationships of all the characters. It gets 3 stars from this reader.

While this story is set, in part, at the Morgan Ranch, it features Rio Martinez, world champion bull rider--a friend of HW Morgan's, whom he met on the PBR circuit, and who has agreed to teach bull riding basics to Morgan Ranch guests until he goes back on the PBR circuit again to defend his title. In the interim, he meets and is instantly drawn to local baker and cafe owner, Yvonne Payet, a divorcee and friend of the Morgan family, whose cafe/bistro business in town features her delicious creations, creations that she sells to the locals and tourists, and one in which also supplies bread and pastries to local hotels and guest ranches like the one run by the Morgans.

Rio is the son of his billionaire father, Graham, whose international business interests vary widely, but Rio's relationship with his father is a rocky one, since he was basically ignored by his father during his childhood, was terribly mistreated by one of his father's young wives, was sent off to boarding school at a young age, and who walked away from his father's company, and the money and power behind it, when he fell in love with bull riding.

From the moment Rio and Yvonne meet, their chemistry is off the charts, yet they are both commitment-phobic, and know that they aren't ready or in a position to get involved in a serious, committed relationship--Yvonne's too busy with her cafe/bakery and the possibility of it becoming the subject matter for a television series, and Rio will soon leave town to rejoin the PBR tour, so they agree to be friends, and soon become friends with benefits, and if you're a romance reader, you already know where their relationship is heading. Yes, there are certainly complications ahead--like the reappearance of Yvonne's French ex-husband, Paul, and the manipulations of Rio's father, who wants to leave his corporation to Rio, his sole heir, and Rio, who wants nothing to do with the corporation or the man who built it, and, of course, there's the HEA ending all romance readers expect.

Although I liked the main characters, the plot and subplots, and the chance to spend some time with the Morgan family again, I tended to like Rio far more than I liked Yvonne, whose waffling about their friends with benefits relationship, and whose argumentative nature became somewhat annoying. The reappearance of Yvonne's ex, Paul, the man who walked out on her and moved back to France 4 years earlier, and who hasn't been heard from since, was also problematic for this reader because of how readily Yvonne accepted his sudden reappearance in her life. She showed plenty of backbone where Rio was concerned, but seemed perfectly willing to give Paul her time, and when Paul asks Rio to step aside, Rio agrees to do so, which seemed totally out of character for him.

All in all, this was good, well-plotted and well-written novel, but by the time I got to the HEA ending, I felt as though something was missing, and it's difficult to point out what exactly that missing element was. Perhaps it was my irritation with Yvonne, the lack of a deep emotional connection between Yvonne and Rio, or the fact that the Morgan family took a back seat in this novel, but as part of the series as a whole, for this reader, it simply wasn't my favorite novel in the series.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Another great story in this series from the Morgan Ranch. Rio, a champion bull rider, meets Yvonne, the baker and coffee shop owner in the local town. The chemistry is instant, although each carrying baggage, they both give a good shot at resisting it. Our macho, yet sensitive hero and the strong, independent yet vulnerable heroine make a delightful story that had me laughing and crying to the end. Both characters are very well written, as is the plot. I’m always sad when these books are finished—they’re that good.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my freely given, honest review.

When Yvonne Payet, owner of the local bakery, first meets Rio Martinez at the Morgan Ranch, she believes that he is a ranch hand. Rio is much more than a ranch hand, however, since he holds the title of World Champion in Bull Riding, and is a billionaire's son. They both learn to look past their initial impressions to the person's heart and their own pasts to unlock a beautiful future together.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

The Billionaire Bull Rider by Kate Pearce
Book #5: Morgan Ranch Series
Source: NetGalley and Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars

I think, as long-time readers, we often feel compelled to just keep reading. That is, we keep plugging away at a series, even when it begins to fail, because we have read everything else in the series and feel we “should” keep going. Fortunately, Kate Pearce has managed to keep me totally engaged with her Morgan Ranch series, and I only feel compelled to keep going because the series is still incredibly strong and fresh!

For the first time since the series launched, Pearce has focused her attention on two characters who are not Morgans, but Morgan adjacent. Yvonne, local coffee and pastry shop owner, has been a long-standing secondary character in the series, while Rio Martinez, friend to the twins, is a new addition to the cast. Both are completely delightful characters who only add to the richness and overall enjoyment of the series.

Yvonne has long been a part of life in Morgantown. As the only coffee and pastry shop in town, she has the market cornered. Yvonne also has amazing food which has allowed her to create strong ties in the community and make some truly good friends. She is a regular at the Morgan dinner table and isn’t at all surprised to see a new addition to the group one Sunday afternoon. Rio Martinez is certainly easy on the eyes, but thanks to a wretched ex-husband, Yvonne isn’t interested in anything beyond the superficial. A casual fling? Sure! But, there certainly won’t be any discussions of long-term, commitment, or happily ever after. Yvonne is convinced that ship has sailed for her, and a pretty bull rider isn’t going to change her mind.

Rio Martinez isn’t opposed to long-term and commitment, but his current commitments mean he can only be at the ranch and in Morgantown for a short amount of time. Not only is Rio a professional bull rider, he’s also the reigning champion; once the season begins, Rio will be back on the road defending his title. Yvonne, however, is a woman who can make a man think twice about his life choices which is how Rio finds himself in hot pursuit of the one woman who has skittish written all over her.

What starts as a friendship with intense attraction quickly morphs into a steamy, no strings attached affair between Yvonne and Rio. Between the sheets, Rio and Yvonne are smokin’ hot, but beyond that, they seem to have a great deal of difficulty expressing what they really want from the other. Between fear, stubbornness, and too many outside distractions, Yvonne and Rio have a truly awful time just being together. Yvonne has a nasty ex who has waltzed back into her life and an incredible business opportunity that is sucking up brain space. Rio has a truly wretched father who wants Rio to come back into the family fold which leaves Rio emotionally raw and unsteady. Between Yvonne and Rio, tensions of all kinds run high and if they don’t learn to trust, there will never be a happy ending for either of them.

The Bottom Line: Seriously, y’all, I need to move to Morgantown and find me a hot cowboy since they all seem to live there 😊 Aside from being hot and sexy, the men of Morgantown are also kind, generous, caring, intelligent creatures who adore the women brought into their lives. Morgantown isn’t just a town named after a wealthy family, but a true community that is interested in the whole rather than just the individual. That sense of community is very much driven home in this book simply because it features two Morgan adjacent characters. Both Rio and Yvonne are so easy to like, and it is simply a matter of turning a few pages to get behind them and root for their success. With the mix of old and new characters, the continuation of the series arc and the book-specific arc, I found myself absolutely engrossed in this read. Overall, the series is continuing to interest me with its fine cast of characters, interesting plot lines, and overall freshness. I am perfectly ready for book six 😊

The Billionaire Bull Rider is book 5 in the Morgan Ranch series. First off I did not read the first 4 books, this could easily be a stand alone book. I will however read the first 4 now that I read this one. I absolutely LOVED this book!

Rio is a world champion bull rider and friends with the Morgan brothers, he is spending the summer working for them, when he meets Yvonne. She is the owner of the local bakery and good friends with the Morgan's. Both of them are not looking for a long term relationship, both for good reasons. But somethings are just meant to be.

Kate Pearce's writing is perfect, she writes in a way that you feel connected to the characters. Very easy to follow storyline. I could not put this book down. If you love cowboy romances or even just a good romance you MUST read this book!

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Kate Pearce knows how to write drama. Rio and Yvonne are the definition of indecision and drama! With plenty of tension and steaminess, you can’t go wrong with Rio and Yvonne’s story.
4 stars!

Kate Pearce is always a must read for me. Her characters are memorable and readers really invest in them. She continues her cowboy series with Rio and Yvonne. The characters are engaging and we love reading how they have crazy chemistry but are trying to fool themselves. Rio's family is fleshed out and the drama surrounding them also adds to the plot. There are some nice twists toward the end with Yvonne and a past relationship. The dialogue is crisp and clever, the secondary characters are incorporated well. Of course the sex and romance is steamy. On a side note- give poor Matt a book! Perfectly edited it is a fantastic way to spend some time in Morgantown.

Rio is a bull rider and he is helping at HW ranch during the off season. he is hot and he meets Yvonne who is great and smart talented lady. she is a baker they start out as friends and than they take the next step. their relationship is going good and they have this great connection. it was awesome. I loved the ending

This was just the ticket for escapist, sexy, summer reading fun. Yvonne and Rio are a great couple, and they know it from the get-go. They have a few issues to work through, mostly to do with commitment-phobia, and Yvonne’s ex-husband. But they have a huge cheering section in the Morgans, and they quickly get down to business… with each other.

Rio Martinez seems like just some cowboy to most people who don't get into the rodeo scene. He's actually the current world champion bull rider. He's spending his off season helping out the Morgan family on their ranch teaching bull riding to tourists. He's also got a complicated family history. A father he can't stand and a mother and sister he adores. Yvonne Payet is running her cafe and baking up crazy amounts of goodies. Even though she's plenty busy she still makes time for her friends and some of those being the Morgan family. They accept her as one of her own. Then there's Rio and her attraction to him is undeniable. There's a lot going on in this story. Rio and Yvonne swear they don't have time for a relationship but somehow they still have one. Yvonne has her cafe and plans for expansion and Rio has his hands full with family problems and he has to return to bull riding for at least one more year. I just love the Morgan's and how they make everyone feel like family. I enjoyed watching Rio and Yvonne find their way to each other and find out about themselves as well. Love the fact you get to revisit with all the Morgan's from previous stories as well.




Find out more about Kate Pearce and this series here www.katepearce.com

Loved this addition to the Morgan Ranch. Rio is visiting the Morgan Ranch deciding what he wants to do next. Yvonne owns a café in town and when she and Rio meet, sparks fly. Will their baggage get in the way or will they find a way to be together? This is a fast-paced read with plenty of drama and lots of steam. I loved the characters and was hooked on the story from beginning to end.

A good addition to the series.

The Billionaire Bull Rider is book 5 in the Morgan Ranch series. While I think that the first 4 books in the series are best read in order, this one stands alone well in my opinion.

Rio Martinez is a world champion bull rider and friends with the Morgan brothers. While spending the summer working for them he meets Yvonne, who owns the French bakery in town. Both of these two are good reasons to be wary of long-term relationships and therefore commitment shy.

This is a good story and we find out why Rio doesn't like his American father and why Yvonne doesn't want to be in a relationship. When their friends-with-benefits relationship turns into something more they both runaway. It's actually a pretty complex story with lots of different sub-plots going on concerning Rio and Yvonne.

I enjoyed this story a lot, and I'm not at all sorry I read it, but for some reason I didn't feel quite as connected to the characters as I have in the other books. Kate Pearce's writing is great, as always, so I think I may just not have been in the right mood for this particular story right now. If you've enjoyed the other books in this series I'm sure you won't want to miss this one.

The next book in this series, The Rancher, is one I've really been looking forward to. I can't wait to read Rachel's story.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

The Billionaire Bull Rider is Book 5 in the Morgan Ranch series. This one (probably more so than the rest) could stand alone just fine but this is an amazing series so I would highly recommend starting from the beginning to get the entire backstory. Especially considering everyone from the earlier novels do make an appearance.

It amazes me that Ms. Pearce can crank out hit after hit regardless of genre. Whether it's historical, paranormal, sci-fi, erotic, contemporary or cowboy-western, you can pretty much figure if it has Kate Pearce's name on it, it's going to be phenomenal and this story was no exception!

The chemistry between Rio and Yvonne was evident right from the start. I loved the interactions between the 2 of them and even though they've played a minor role in earlier stories, this is the first time we've really gotten to take a deep dive into their pasts.

Overall this was an excellent addition to the series and I cannot wait for Rachel's story.

This has fast become a favourite series of mine that I look forward to. This book has just added to the enjoyment with the story of Rio & Yvonne. Both are strong & passionate, but wary of love. Yvonne having been divorced by her French husband for not bowing to his wants & Rio for the torment he received after the divorce of his parents. Enacting a friends with benefits relationship will have to do for them because Rio will be leaving town soon to defend his PBR championship & Yvonne will be staying put with her Cafe. New business opportunities open up for Yvonne just as the past comes back to visit both of them. Forced to rehash his past with his father Rio learns some surprising & shocking news, as Yvonne faces her ex-husband & his unwanted advances for his monetary gain. The passion & heat between Rio & Yvonne radiate off them as they find their way through their new friendship. Definitely recommend this book.

This is the fifth book in this series and it's just as good as the rest. This is much more about people then action. Both are struggling with career moves and other pressure about family, They both make it clear they don't want a relationship right now. So watching them become friends and trust each other is the main part of the story. I did get a little put off by all the arguments. All the characters are necessary to make this story work. There was a lot of dealing with different relationships. They all were relevant to the main characters. I've enjoyed the series and I was not let down by this one.

Rio Martinez, the current World Champion Bull Rider, is in limbo. Not sure if he wants to defend his title, he decides to take the Morgan brothers up on their offer to help out at their ranch for the summer. While there, Rio receives several calls from his dad requesting a meeting. As much as Rio wants to ignore his dad's request, Rio accepts the invitation per his mom's request. Rio would do anything for his mom, but his relationship with his dad is strained, to say the least.

Yvonne Payet, owner and chef of a cafe in Morganstown, is happy with the life she's made for herself post divorce. Yvonne's even had an offer to possibly star in a reality tv show featuring her cafe. When she meets Rio, the electricity burns between them. Neither is looking to commit, but a good time between the sheets may be in order. As they spend more time with each other, Rio knows his heart has become involved. Now he just has to convince Yvonne to take a chance on them. With a controlling father, greedy/unscrupulous ex, secrets, and differing professional goals a relationship seems impossible.

Although this was Rio and Yvonne's story, I would've liked to catch up on the Morgan's a little more. Otherwise, this was a very enjoyable read. So many lessons to be learned. What we grow up believing as children, often isn't the whole story. Divorce is devasting in itself, but to experience abuse (physical and power) is horrible. Although Rio's dad was a self made multi-millionaire, it came at a high price. Proving money can NOT buy happiness! Yvonne and Rio were a perfect match and I LOVED the ending! I read a gifted copy of this novel and all opinions stated are my own.

Another wonderful addition to the Morgan Ranch series. I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in this series, and this book adds another great romance. Rio and Yvonne may not be blood, but they are definitely part of the Morgan family. Ruth provides the wonderful and spot on advice we have come to love and expect from her. If only we all had someone has heartfelt and loyal in our lives.

The Morgan ladies may have been trying to set Yvonne up with Matt, but the chemistry and pull to Rio was undeniable. As much as they both told themselves they were not in a place for a relationship, the attraction was too intense, the pull too strong.

Rio’s devotion to his mother and sister is admirable and shows his strong character. His past with his father, the truths revealed, were heartbreaking but vital to his story.

There was some drama, but for me, it wasn’t super angsty and a bit predictable. But, regardless of it’s predictability, it added to the story, and was necessary to tie up the ending.

I do hope there will be more books in the Morgan Ranch series as I have come to love this family, the community, and everything about them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and this review is of my own free will and contains my honest opinions.

Everyone likes going to Yvonne Payet Cafe for her pastries and cakes. She likes there in Morgan town as well. It is always a struggle in finding help, but she makes do. Rio Martinez bull rider and the champion for the past year has decided to work on the Morgan’s brother ranch for the off season, as a change of pace. Trying not to think about his father cannot be helped when he puts himself in their life’s wanting a meeting with Rio and Rio’s mother. After agreeing and knowing that they have to go to San Francisco he meets Yvonne at the ranch at the weekly dinner. He would like to start something with her but she puts a stop to anything quickly and this only adds to his wanting. Along with her food he is attracted to her and finds her easy to talk to. When she is approached by a TV show to do a show from her café she asks Rio for his help when she finds out that he has a degree in business. It is when they all go to San Francisco and she meets his mother and sister she begins to find out about the family and then about his father and their problems. Never wanting to talk about his problems he begins wanting more from her until her ex shows up in town and Rio starts believing what the says without going to Yvonne and asking her. When it becomes time for him to apologize she accepts but now he must work at getting back in her good graces, and she does make him work. A book with good characters and not a story that ends right away. Yvonne is a strong women and the author makes her out that way throughout the end which I liked. A very good book.

Chemistry is a weird substance: what should be a simple matter can become a whole lot more. Why fall for the one who should compliment your life goals? Why fall in love with someone who is your total opposite? but if you allow yourself the freedom to express new emotions, then maybe, the seduction of the Morgan Ranch will bring all of the excitement you need. Rio has a decision to make. Will he fall for Yvonne or yield to family pressure to conform?